Keychain of Creation 3: Not-a-Keyblade Understanding & Falafel-is-Awesome Prana Combo

[ZeroNumerous]

Competent staff is hard to find, after all.

It certainly seems that way given that he hasn't found any yet.

Zing! I'll be here all night ladies and gentlemen.

[Indon]

It certainly seems that way given that he hasn't found any yet.

Hey. Flame's competent.

He's just grossly outnumbered.

[Drakyn]

In 10 minutes.

EXACTLY ten minutes, too. Saves wear and tear on fiddling numerical small change.

Hey. Flame's competent.

He's just grossly outnumbered.

I like it when the villains get outnumbered. Feels like a neat little turnaround from the standard fantasy line. And not only is Flame competent, he isn't even pointlessly sadistic! I like this.

[Drascin]

Well, look at it this way: he can easily bust asses of both Ben and Flame if they mess up something that actually matters in long run. For now they haven't so there is no reasons why Lion should make them suffer. Competent staff is hard to find, after all.

Well, yes, of course. But tell me again, how many villains refrain from randomly killing their competent minions "to make an example" when they fail? And from their descriptions, I had figured they were classic "You Have Failed Me" idiot villains. But here we have Lion doing what a sensible Evil Overlord would do. Which is what elicited surprise from me. Okay, so if Deathlords are actually competent Creation might be even MORE screwed than I already thought, but still .

[Jukashi]

Why are Flame and Ben still alive?

Marena asked Racer to "get rid of" them. He had no prior awareness of who Ben and Flame were or what their precise level of antagonism to the group was, and he's not the type of guy to kill someone without a good reason. He's a pre-Contagion Lunar, you see.

I'd suspect that the Deathlords, due to their... close relationship... to the first-age Solars, probably need to expend Willpower to do sensible things rather than their insane ghost-whims.

Actually, it's established in CoCD: Underworld that when you die and become a ghost, whatever crazy was caused by the Great Curse is cured. At the point of the Usurpation, there was a massive war against agents of Oblivion rising up from the maw of the Void, and most of the newly-dead Solars, Terrestrials and Sidereals picked up their grave-good Artifacts and fought them together. Despite the massive betrayal and slaughter of each other literally moments ago.

Most of the dead Solars chose to let go, forgive and pass on into reincarnation again. Any ghost that passes to Lethe gets to send one last message to anyone; the Unconquered Sun a lot of these after the Usurpation. Most of them said things like: I am ashamed, and I am sorry. They had all finally been able to see themselves clearly.

So, if the Deathlords are crazy? It's all them. Nothing forced them to do what they did.

[The Rose Dragon]

Marena asked Racer to "get rid of" them. He had no prior awareness of who Ben and Flame were or what their precise level of antagonism to the group was, and he's not the type of guy to kill someone without a good reason. He's a pre-Contagion Lunar, you see.

...you suck.

Stop ruining my theories.

[horngeek]

Most of the dead Solars chose to let go, forgive and pass on into reincarnation again. Any ghost that passes to Lethe gets to send one last message to anyone; the Unconquered Sun a lot of these after the Usurpation. Most of them said things like: I am ashamed, and I am sorry. They had all finally been able to see themselves clearly.

A lot of Bronze Faction Sidereals recieved You were wrong or We were wrong. So did a lot of Dragon-Blooded.

A lot of Gold Faction Sidereals received We were right.

The Solars shine when they have a damm world to save.

Incidentally, the messages to UCS are probably the most tear-jerkery, heartwarming moment of the entire setting that's canon that I've read.

[Doran]

Hmm, after 2e core which is the next best book to get?

[kamikasei]

I'm going to have to revise my opinion on Deathlords. They might actually be competent instead of Bond villains .

By all accounts, it's the Infernals who are Bond villains. In that they can burn off Limit by doing things like monologuing about their awesome plans to their enemies, or leaving their foes in elaborate deathtraps and then walking away rather than either killing them outright or even sticking around to ensure the trap does the job.

[Thanqol]

By all accounts, it's the Infernals who are Bond villains. In that they can burn off Limit by doing things like monologuing about their awesome plans to their enemies, or leaving their foes in elaborate deathtraps and then walking away rather than either killing them outright or even sticking around to ensure the trap does the job.

Infernals are waaaaaay closer to The Joker than any Bond Villain.

You also burn torment by making people insane, by killing people in ways that will be traced back to you, and crafting the perfect archnemesis.

[Drascin]

By all accounts, it's the Infernals who are Bond villains. In that they can burn off Limit by doing things like monologuing about their awesome plans to their enemies, or leaving their foes in elaborate deathtraps and then walking away rather than either killing them outright or even sticking around to ensure the trap does the job.

I dunno, I know nothing of Infernals. The only books I really have are Core, Exalted Power: Lunars, and Exalted Power: Alchemicals. And the stories of Exalted I read always seem to have very few if any Infernals, for some reason.

A choice of books that has shown to me that Alchemicals are so infinitely cooler than the Solars it isn't even fair, by the way .

[Rockphed]

Now I want to make an Abyssal who hangs around with his Solar nemesis because he has some bizarre form of honor where he won't kill the guy except in a straight up fight, and the nemesis won't engage in a straight up fight until he finishes his quest to save the world. Getting bonuses for monologuing and building overly elaborate death traps amuses me. Especially if I can use the charm "Glorious Solar Perverted Abyssal Deathtrap."

Would such a character work in exalted?

[Tackyhillbillu]

Would such a character work in exalted?

This is not a question that you ever ask in Exalted. If a character 'doesn't work' he makes it work*.

*Unless that character is lame, in which case he doesn't.

[Ganurath]

Now I want to make an Abyssal who hangs around with his Solar nemesis because he has some bizarre form of honor where he won't kill the guy except in a straight up fight, and the nemesis won't engage in a straight up fight until he finishes his quest to save the world. Getting bonuses for monologuing and building overly elaborate death traps amuses me. Especially if I can use the charm "Glorious Solar Perverted Abyssal Deathtrap."

Would such a character work in exalted?

Depends. Do you like Resonance?

Also, the game mechanics encourage monologuing via stunts.

[Weimann]

Hmm, after 2e core which is the next best book to get?

I'd say like this:

If you are content with playing Solars, at least for the time being, don't get a Manual of Exalted Power. If you really want to try another Exalt type out, though, by all means get the relevant one.

Next, I would suggest the Scrolls of Sorcery, particularly part 1-3. They cover Artifacts and other Magitech (Wonders of the Lost Age), Sorcery and Necromancy spells (The White and Black Treatsies) and guidelines to making custom Artifacts and Warstriders (Oadenoal's Codex). These are books that will benefit you no matter what game you run, so they can safely be bought. Issue 4 and 5 regard gods, spirits, ghosts and demons, and I personally feel they can be left out, but they are also very usable in almost every game.

If you have any idea where you are going to base your game, it might be smart to get a Direction book for that place, too.

[lord_khaine]

So, does anyone else think the thread needs a slightly better title? so far we got 2 votes for "Keychain of Creation 3: Not-A-Keyblade Understanding required"

Marena asked Racer to "get rid of" them. He had no prior awareness of who Ben and Flame were or what their precise level of antagonism to the group was, and he's not the type of guy to kill someone without a good reason. He's a pre-Contagion Lunar, you see.

Doesnt that mean Racer is crazily old and powefull?

[Kyeudo]

Doesnt that mean Racer is crazily old and powefull?

Only 800 years or so. That's old enough to be Essence 8, so he could have soloed both Ben and Flame. Depending on his Charms and strategy, he could have taken Nemen Yi.

[ZeroNumerous]

Only 800 years or so. That's old enough to be Essence 8, so he could have soloed both Ben and Flame. Depending on his Charms and strategy, he could have taken Nemen Yi.

That's also dependent on whether or not she's gotten some of the more broken SMAs.

[MReav]

That's also dependent on whether or not she's gotten some of the more broken SMAs.

Well, she was breaking the fabric of reality repeatedly.

[Tavar]

Well, she was breaking the fabric of reality repeatedly.

From what I understand, that's pretty standard for Sids.

[Drascin]

From what I understand, that's pretty standard for Sids.

I really need to get the Sidereal book. I love the idea of punching people so hard they start hurting two minutes ago . But I heard there were a lot (more than usual in White Wolf) mistakes in that book that made it a bit problematic to deal with, or something.

[Gez]

So, does anyone else think the thread needs a slightly better title?

It's already more than ten thousand times better than the second thread's title, because it does not make a reference to an unfunny and tired meme.

[ZeroNumerous]

It's already more than ten thousand times better than the second thread's title, because it does not make a reference to an unfunny and tired meme.

Someone's not heard it at least 9001 times. Or doesn't grasp the 9001 ways it's useful in every day life.

[lord_khaine]

It's already more than ten thousand times better than the second thread's title, because it does not make a reference to an unfunny and tired meme.

I just think the Falafel part is a million times worse than the previous title.

[Jerthanis]

I just think the Falafel part is a million times worse than the previous title.

I don't know what you're talking about, Falafel is delicious.

[Jokasti]

I don't know what you're talking about, Falafel is delicious.

Falafel: Bitter, cold, screaming soulsteel on the outside, chocolatey nougat on the inside!

[Errion N.]

Soo...Ben and Flame got away with failure after all? It seems like FaFL is in kinda good mood, seeing as he doesn't immidiately punish Fury or even seem particularly annoyed at the defeat of Ben & Flame... I wonder what that "new task" of theirs will be?

I have a theory on this actually: the First and Forsaken Lion 'threw the fight' so to speak. he only sent two of his abyssal out of ONE of his circles. (the first and forsaken lion, probably has two circles, the other one just isn't in the comic yet.) on top of that, he only sent one competent abyssal, with a fairly incompetent partner, looking at you Ben. of course, he didn't know if they'd win the fight or not, and not even the first and forsaken lion can believably play xanatos roulette (only sidereals can do that). but the scenario is this:
If his two abyssals manage to get what he wants, so much the better. but, if they attack, fail, and escape... (which really, its reasonable to believe that they would escape) then the party believes he is less interested in the keys than he is, he doesn't attract too much attention, and the party will likely do all the work of finding the keys so that he doesn't have to. he DIDNT count on ben and flame to try and attack misho directly to get the key, but its an admirable, if stupid move on their part, he probably wont try and stop them from going above and beyond the call of duty.

of course, in this scenario, he's overestimating himself, or underestimating misho, but... that sort of thing isn't entirely outside his nature. the only wild card for him is the sidereal who got involved. in the mean time, he may send this circle to cause some unrelated havoc while tracking the party by other means.
... or he may send this circle to try and make an indirect move in order to side-track misho while he makes a move for the keys in another way. in any case, i think he's planning on sidereal involvement, so his plans are much more layered than they appear as yet. (probably more layered than they will appear to be for a while). But he's the first and Forsaken Lion guys, his playing a xanatos gambit could work. especially if sidreals could get involved (which he would assume they will) because the First and Forsaken Lion tends to be very direct, making indirect moves is likely to be more effective for him, and he's fairly intelligent.


or i'm completely wrong

for those of you unfamilliar with the phrase 'xanatos gambit' and 'xanatos roulette' here is a link to tv tropes (warning, tv tropes will eat your life)
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph.../XanatosGambit

[lord_khaine]

I don't know what you're talking about, Falafel is delicious.

Arg no, it sounds so stupid.

[Jerthanis]

Arg no, it sounds so stupid.

It's a... *checks wikipedia* ...an Egyptian dish. It's a word in another language. It doesn't sound any stupider than "bratwurst"

Honestly, the Deathlord names that exist are friggin' stupid for the most part. Dowager of Irreverant Vulgate in Unrent Veils? WTF does that even mean? First and Forsaken Lion? He's the first lion, the was forsaken? Princess Magnificent? (Sounds like a character from... friggin Rainbow Bright)

The only good ones are Walker in Darkness, and Mask of Winters. Short, to the point, rolls off the tongue.

Most of their alternate names are much less silly. "The Silver Prince" "The Black Heron", and so on. FaFL just doesn't have anything in his name that successfully truncates, and if he has an informal name it doesn't easily come to mind.

So really, "Falafel" is an inevitable result of "First and Forsaken Lion" being such a stupid mouthful of a name. If I can respect a guy named First and Forsaken Lion as a villain, I can respect a villain named Falafel, no question.

[lord_khaine]

Well, "bratwurst" doesnt sound any better, and it doesnt change anything that a lot of other Deathknights may or may not have names that sounds about as silly, i still dont think Falafel have any place in the title of the thread.